This invention relates to the copying of images and, more particularly, to novel and highly-effective apparatus for forming a latent contact photographic copy of an original image.
It is necessary in many circumstances and for many reasons to make multiple copies of original images that have been made by X-ray machines, cameras, etc.
In the field of dentistry, for example, X-ray images are among the most important diagnostic aids available, and these images must be reproduced for professional, insurance and record-keeping purposes, among others. In conventional practice, the dentist or his assistant must send X-ray images out to an independent copying service or must procure such conventional equipment as may be available for in-house use.
Both of these alternatives are unsatisfactory. The first deprives the dentist of access to the original image during the period when it is being copied and risks loss of or damage to the original. The second is expensive and inconvenient because of the deficiencies of the best copying machines heretofore available for in-house use. These deficiencies include awkward arrangements for initiating film exposure and unsatisfactory means for timing the exposure.